– Despite the recession, thousands of jobs have been created by the

synthetic turf industry according to the Synthetic Turf Council, which today announced a

20% expansion rate for 2008. Growth in all sectors of the industry — sports fields, golf,

municipal parks, airports, landscape and residential – has also helped conserve an

additional 500 million gallons of water during a time when many sectors of the country

still grapple with drought.

“Our member companies are actively creating jobs and bolstering local economies with

their growth,” explains Rick Doyle, President of the Synthetic Turf Council. “Industry

expansion also allows us to make a positive impact on the environment by conserving

water, lowering the usage of pesticides and fertilizers and recycling materials.”

The environmental impact of synthetic turf fields is significant. It is common for grass

sports fields to require a minimum of 15,000 gallons of irrigation water per week during

growing season and thousands of pounds of fertilizers and pesticides annually.

Assuming a 33 week growing season, the installation of over 1,000 new synthetic turf

fields last year conserved an estimated 500 million gallons of water and reduced the use

of fertilizers by well over 1.25 million pounds. With approximately 4,500 synthetic turf

fields currently in use, the total amount of water saved in 2008 exceeded 2.2 billion

Demand for synthetic turf has grown over the past few years. About half of all NFL

teams currently play their games on synthetic turf, and it has been approved by FIFA for

World Cup soccer matches. As the need for durable playing fields escalates, especially

those that don’t require high water usage during times of drought, synthetic turf has

become an increasingly popular solution to enhance athletic performance, deal with the

issue of limited space in older cities and suburbs, and allow for multiple sports teams to

practice and play on a grass-like surface.

The increased popularity of synthetic turf has also resulted in increased scrutiny. In July

2008, a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Staff report approved the use of

synthetic turf fields by children and people of all ages. Numerous independent, current,

and credible scientific studies that verify the usage benefits and address the health, safety,

and environmental impact of synthetic turf are posted on the Synthetic Turf Council’s

www.syntheticturfcouncil.org

.

About the Synthetic Turf Council:

Based in Atlanta, the Synthetic Turf Council was founded in 2003 to promote the

industry and to assist buyers and end users with the selection, use and maintenance of

synthetic turf systems in sports field, golf, municipal parks, airports, landscape and

residential applications. The organization is also a resource for current, credible, and

independent research on the safety and environmental impact of synthetic turf.

Membership includes builders, landscape architects, testing labs, maintenance providers,

manufacturers, suppliers, installation contractors, infill material suppliers and other

specialty service companies. For more information, visit

www.syntheticturfcouncil.org.